NYT's "Games To Avoid" an Ironic, Perfect Gamer Wish List 189
MojoKid writes "From October to December, the advertising departments of a thousand companies exhort children to beg, cajole, and guilt-trip their parents for all manner of inappropriate digital entertainment. As supposedly informed gatekeepers, we sadly earthbound Santas are reduced to scouring the back pages of gaming review sites and magazines, trying to evaluate whether the tot at home is ready for Big Bird's Egg Hunt or Bayonetta. Luckily, The New York Times is here to help. In a recent article provokingly titled 'Ten Games to Cross off Your Child's Gift List,' the NYT names its list of big bads — the video games so foul, so gruesome, so perverse that we'd recommend you buy them immediately — for yourself. Alternatively, if you need gift ideas for the surly, pale teenager in your home whose body contains more plastic then your average d20, this is the newspaper clipping to stuff in your pocket. In other words, if you need a list like this to understand what games to not stuff little Johnny's stocking with this holiday season, you've got larger issues you should concern yourself with. We'd suggest picking up an auto-shotty and taking a few rounds against the horde — it's a wonderful stress relief and you're probably going to need it."
list (Score:5, Informative)
And the list:
Assassin’s Creed II
Borderlands
Brutal Legend
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Dead Space: Extraction
Dragon Age: Origins
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Demon’s Souls
Left 4 Dead 2
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Looks like a list of all the fun games of this year.
But oh, the fun just starts. Check out the alternatives list:
Alternative: Mirror's Edge
Alternative: Infamous
Alternative: Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Alternative: Battlefield: Bad Company
Alternative: Deadly Creatures
Alternative: Braid
Alternative: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Alternative: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Alternative: Overlord II
Alternative: C.O.P.: The Recruit
Many of the games on the alternatives list have exactly the same kind of violence. Hell, in Overlord you're taking control of a evil god like character that controls his minions to destroy and kill enemies, the good people.
I bet many of us played games that had gore as teens. They should had have sex too - it's even a natural thing, while violence is not (or shouldn't be). The problem isn't the gore and it wont turn a teenager in to a mindless massacer - if it is, then he has other problems that the parents should be taking care of.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If you ban all sex and violence from newspapers or TV, we end up with VERY thin papers and a lot of test pattern TV.
Why's games different, I ask?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Don't let the simple graphics fool you.
It could also be a FPS in which you play a block trying to kill other blocks and keep respawning as new blocks every few minutes
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Tetris is a comunist look at destroying the building blocks of modern society. This is why the straight piece which clears all those lines is RED.
It's far more sinister than that. Not only it's red, but it's also straight, long, and it falls on the poor, innocent bricks from the sky. Clearly, it's a Soviet ICBM, and vaporized blocks represent annihilated American cities!
Re: (Score:2)
I dunno, that dangling L shape has given me some pretty salacious ideas from time to time. Just to be safe, I'd ban Tetris too.
Re:list (Score:5, Funny)
but all those moralists that are actually sick minded pervs can see the fitting of tetris pieces together to be a vaguely sexual act!
With all those pieces fitting perfectly together it's probably the most sexual game ever! Oh baby!
Let the porn flow through you... (Score:5, Interesting)
I never understood the puritan view we have in American in regards to Sex and Violence. I actually agree that we should minimize exposure to violence for children. I have to wonder if we're a bit backward. It seems like Europe has a much better view on things. Minimize exposure to violence for young children, but don't be so paranoid about sexual content. Violent crime has always been out of control in the US as compared to similarly developed countries overseas. We allow our children to watch all sorts of violent movies, play violent games, yet we shelter them from any exposure to sexuality like it was some sort of dirty secret.
(note, the difference is rape rates between the US and Europe is even more pronounced, with the US showing about 7 times the rate of European nations).
What's wrong with this picture?
Homicides for every 100,000 persons:
Ireland [0.9]
Germany [0.9]
Norway [1.0]
United Kingdom [1.4]
France [1.6]
Canada [1.9]
Scotland [1.59]
United States [5.6]
Russia [20.15]
Venezuela [31.61]
Jamaica [32.41]
Colombia [61.78]
Re:Let the porn flow through you... (Score:4, Insightful)
While I laud your post as one of the clearest voices in this thread, I'd just raise one question. If we are to presume rape cases in the US are higher because we have suppressed sexuality in our media, then shouldn't violent crime be higher in Europe because they suppress violence in their media?
In any case, I don't think either are caused by media, only that our respective media are mirrors of our society, not the cause of our societal ills.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes and no. I think sexuality takes on an entirely different aspect when it's hidden. The same sort of appeal that a clad person will evoke rather than a naked one.
Violence on the other hand seems to be more of a learned response, especially when it comes to homicide, peer pressure, gang related activity, etc, where sexuality is a more natural response due to natural curiosity, hormone changes during puberty, etc.
Personally I don't think people have a deep urge to kill, where they do get a deep urge to jump
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Not to mention you can’t have it both ways... rape is higher in the US because we suppress sexuality, and homicide is higher because we indulge in violent movies?
Does suppressing something encourage it, or does not suppressing it encourage it? If you’re arguing for one, you have a problem with the other.
The only logical conclusion is that suppressing or not suppressing something in the media has very little influence on whether people actually engage in those sorts of behaviours.
Re: (Score:2)
I like how Scotland's independent from the UK... wait... I never voted for that...
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, violent crime has been on a steep downward trend over the last 18 years.
http://www.ojp.gov/bjs/glance/viort.htm [ojp.gov]
Note: this graph includes all violent crime, not simply homicides.
Violent crime peaked around 1994--before Grand Theft Auto, before Modern Warfare, before Quake. The game industry has exploded during the same time; if violent games had a causative relationship with violent crime, wouldn't the statistics reflect it?
Re: (Score:2)
The problem with a larger picture is that each country has different critera as to what constitutes a specific type of crime whereas they almost all universally agree as to what constitutes a homicide. I do agree there is a downward trend (for instance, the US rate was twice what it is now as compared to the rate in 1980), but that downward trend for homicide has slowed and actually reversed in recent years and is now waffling between 5 to 6 (it's actually increased slightly from 2000 to 2008).
Here's a nice
Re: (Score:2)
There's an image that you can probably find with GIS. It takes the DOJ stats for violent crime and puts them in a graph along with the release dates of various games like Postal, Doom, Mortal Kombat, etc.
(I know, correlation.)
(Also, I'm at work so GIS is a Bad Plan.)
From the mouths of babes (Score:5, Interesting)
Note: Nudity and sex are not the same thing. I don't agree with the puritanical position that nudity is bad and kids should be protected from it.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes, but Americans have an extremely difficult time separating the two. It's a cultural change to do so, and not one they could easily adapt to.
Re:From the mouths of babes (Score:5, Interesting)
The reality is kids aren't stupid, and even pre-puberty they are interested in such things. Just because you choose to ignore the issue doesn't mean that THEY will.
As an example, despite growing in a strict Baptist household (my mother still cringes if a tit flashes on screen and my youngest sibling is now 22) who refused to mention a thing about sex (I never even had "the talk" - ever), I still was curious about it because that's human nature.
I wasn't 5-6 years old before I was playing "I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours." with the girl that lived next door to me (she was roughly the same age - 2 months younger than me). After being given some dirty magazines by some kids at school and learning by word of mouth from peers what sex was, the same girl next door and I decided to "try it out" one day when our parents weren't home. I think we were around 12 at time - maybe even 11.
Neither of our parents ever found out about it, and I can't say that I feel particularly traumatized (the girl and I were best friends at the time - she moved away a few years later - I've talked to her once or twice after we were grown up and she seemed fine, though we've never brought up the sex issue). Still, looking back, it was a foolish thing that I may have known better than to do if I'd actually been taught about the issue other than by my equally clueless classmates.
Ignoring the issue simply won't make it go away. Instead you throw it to random chance and let kids figure things out on their own rather than having some guidance. In some things that's not so bad (finding one's path is a good thing), but with the prevalence of STD's, teen pregnancy, and a myriad of other issues, kids typically just don't make wise decisions on their own when it comes to sex.
Problems with your numbers (Score:2)
Crime through out Europe is generally under counted.
the 5.4 number is not for all of Europe, and why do you have Europe and then countries of Europe broken out? When you put in Eastern Europe the number rise to US levels.
If I could remove certain states from US level and out them in there own, the US level would be below 5.4
When talking about numbers like these on a global scale, you should out down the world number for some sort of relevance. it's about 7.1.
Finally you make a common logic error. You compar
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Already been done. [imagefra.me]
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:list (Score:5, Insightful)
Many of the games on the alternatives list have exactly the same kind of violence.
If by 'the same kind of violence' you mean 'a different kind of violence'.
The NY times article refers to the ESRB rating. I'm pretty sure the article with the alternatives went by those. In your example the alternative, Overlord II, is rated Teen while its counterpart, Left 4 Dead 2, is rated Mature.
There are standards [esrb.org] for these ratings. Now you may disagree with the standards, but dismemberment, animated blood and gore fall in the M category. Morality choices, like playing on the side of evil in Overlord, are not totally excluded from the standard, but usually have less impact.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
M for "Mmmmm..."
We all know how effective the X or M ratings are for movies. If you're 16 and at the Cineplex Engorgia, are you going to go to see the film with the big "R" or the one with the "GP-13"?
The GP stands for "Good Picture" and the "R" stands for "Really Good Picture". If you're lucky enough to find NC-17, it means there are "No Clothes on the 17 year-old Girls".
Re:list (Score:4, Funny)
Funny, all my kids' games have parental control? Don't everyone's?
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
As a parent, I can say "Don't play that!" and confiscate the game. Works for me, although the kid doesn't necessarily like it.
Lists like this can be useful for guidance, as are ESRB ratings. I want my wife and I to have the final say, though, so I don't want them used for censorship.
Re: (Score:2)
Many of the games on the alternatives list have exactly the same kind of violence. Hell, in Overlord you're taking control of a evil god like character that controls his minions to destroy and kill enemies, the good people.
Furthermore, in Overlord II you can have a foursome. I think it even gives you an achievement for it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLYBGqwT7Tg [youtube.com]
I don't recall a single other game that allowed you to do that.
Re: (Score:2)
Dragon Age: Origins. Admittedly, OL2 came first.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Agreed, I was into Aussie rules football back in the seventies.
Re: (Score:2)
I see Borderlands, being probably the mis-purchase of my year (bluntly, that game lacks on so many levels it's not even funny anymore), so I second that motion. But the rest of the games, at least the ones I know, look pretty decent, what's wrong with them?
Re: (Score:2)
Hmmmmmm...... I'm curious (Score:2)
If someone has too much spare time on their hands, maybe they can find out who are the studios/publishers to those games, maybe there's a pattern to the "avoid"/"get" list? Just curious...
Re: (Score:2)
Dragon Age: Origins
Alternative: Braid
Left 4 Dead 2
Alternative: Overlord II
Anyone else think these are the worst possible alternatives? "My son asked for a fantasy RPG and a zombie apocalypse FPS, so I got him a 2D platformer and a 3rd person strategy game. I done good!"
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
They should had have sex too - it's even a natural thing, while violence is not (or shouldn't be).
Rape is sex which occurs naturally in "lower" animals. But it's also violent.
Violence is very much natural. Even a class system is a kind of violence, and it [ostensibly] replaces the physical jockeying for position done by other pack animals — which humans very much are.
The problem isn't the gore and it wont turn a teenager in to a mindless massacer - if it is, then he has other problems that the parents should be taking care of.
The problem is nearly always the parents to begin with.
Re: (Score:2)
If I were a child and had any of those titles replaced with the alternative I would probably start crying :)
Re: (Score:2)
Violence is natural. You may not think it civilized, or appropriate behavior (I sure don't), but it is most certainly natural.
-Jeff
Re:Learning about the world takes time. (Score:5, Insightful)
When living in a fantasy world, you learn nothing about the real world.
That's why the "Troll" mod was invented.
Re: (Score:2)
I learned all my social skills in fantasy worlds.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Learning about the world takes time. (Score:4, Insightful)
Here we go again.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Interesting, with all the graphic violence in Modern Warfare 2, it's funny that the only objectionable aspect of it is that the player can opt to go "undercover as an enemy terrorist."
Re:Here we go again....(SPLR) (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Modern parents need to enforce moralistic killing quotas. x number of people need to be shot dead, so it's the onus of our children to ensure it's the bad guys from other countries who take the brunt.
Not a particularly helpful summary (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, the article is far less irritating than the summary had led me to believe. Yes, it points out 10 games that are not recommended for children and teens. But it isn't trying to get the games banned (the original commonsensemedia article actually points out that these are good games), just trying to help parents make informed decisions. This, I believe, is a good thing.
Moreover, the "suggested replacement" games aren't all of the "Barbie Horse Adventures" ilk. While a few made me raise an eyebrow, most of them are reasonable enough replacements.
Let's take a look at the list:
Assassin's Creed 2 replaced by Mirror's Edge: I haven't played AC2, but I would probably agree that the original AC is "not for kids". Mirror's Edge doesn't seem outlandish as a replacement; it's not some twee kiddy game and it does contain violence. It's just a bit less "in your face" with it. So no problems with this one.
Borderlands for Infamous: Ok, this one made me go "hmm". Borderlands has highly cartoonish violence, while Infamous is actually quite dark in its theme and has highly morally ambiguous characters. Weirdly, I think the game they've recommended is actually less suitable than the game they're replacing.
Brutal Legend for Ghostbusters: I'd have no problem with this, particularly as Ghostbusters is actually the better game provided you avoid the dismal PC version.
Call of Duty MW2 for Battlefield Bad Company 2: Fair enough. I believe a lot of PC gamers already made this switch due to the dedicated servers issue anyway. Both are respectable but unspectacular games, once you get past the hype.
Dead Space: Extraction for Deadly Creatures: I've not played Deadly Creatures, but I have played Extraction (which puts me in a small minority, judging by its dismal sales figures). While it's a "light gun" game, Extraction is absolutely and emphatically not for kids. It is dark, scary and gory.
Dragon Age: Origins for Braid: This one's deeply weird. Dragon Age isn't exactly your average hack-em-up arcade game. I suspect that any under-18s asking for Dragon Age and patient enough to stick with it past the first 10 minutes are probably mature enough to deal with it. And Braid as a replacement? A platform/puzzler as a replacement for an RPG? No, I don't think so. If I were to suggest a replacement, it would probably be Last Remnant, Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, which are at least RPGs. Or get them into the whole retro thing with a copy of Baldur's Gate 2 - the themes are still as mature, but it's harmless if it's just little sprites, right? :)
GTA IV for Batman: Arkham Asylum: Again, the games aren't quite the same genre, so this is a tricky one. However, GTA is not for kids, end of story. The Batman game is awesome, and probably dark enough in its theme and style to satisfy most teenagers. So yes, you could do worse than this.
Demon's Souls for Uncharted 2: Yeah, no real problems with this. To be honest, I prefer Uncharted 2 as a game anyway (though this may put me in a minority).
Left 4 Dead 2 for Overlord 2: Another strange one. Overlord 2 is not an fps. Nor is it a particularly co-operative game. Nor is it fantastically good. Nor is it morally squeaky-clean (though the violence is cartoonish). I guess you could always try to track down the Australian version of L4D2.
GTA: Chinatown for C.O.P.: well, at least it's one sandbox game for another. The problem is that the reviews all seem to show that C.O.P. is basically rubbish. It's probably your best option while staying within the same genre on the same platform, but you can still expect a lot of disappointment on Christmas morning with this switch.
So yeah, at least some of the switches recommended are sensible, and this isn't a dreadful guide to parents who might not be massively savvy in these matters. On this basis, did the article summary really need to take the tone that it did?
Oblig. (Score:2, Funny)
You must be new around here.
Re: (Score:2)
GTA IV for Batman actually makes a lot of sense. Neither one is about story (or if GTA IV is about story, it's an epic failure) and both are about the "did you see that" factor (at least once it comes time to get some replay value.)
On this basis, did the article summary really need to take the tone that it did?
I'd say you must be new here, but someone else beat me to it.
Re: (Score:2)
My 13 year old has four or five L70+ WoW characters and wants Dragon Age for Christmas. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Re: (Score:2)
Seconded, with a vengeance. I'm very glad that MMOs weren't around for most of my childhood and that when they appeared during my college days, I was sensible enough to know I needed to avoid them until I was in full-time paid employment.
I was always nerdy as a kid, but even then I spent around as much time on my bike as on my PC (all the better for out-running the swarm of wannabe-jocks chasing me throwing stones).
The computer games I played as a kid were addictive in their own way, but none of them had th
Re: (Score:2)
Assassin's Creed 2 replaced by Mirror's Edge
It depends on the age you're recommending to, but I just finished Mirror's Edge and I wouldn't recommend it to kids under 16. It's got gunplay and blood, you perform dangerous acrobatics in a typical urban setting, and the characters are rather foul-mouthed. Honestly, it's the acrobatics that would make me most nervous as a parent (if I were one).
Re: (Score:2)
Really?
I wouldn't have recommended it to kids because it's pretty difficult and frustrating.
I thought Mirror's Edge did a pretty good job at making you fail a lot and feel very dead when you did so.
Re: (Score:2)
I mostly enjoyed Mirror's Edge, though I acknowledge the issue you highlight. There were certain sequences where I could see what I had to do and it felt like I was doing it properly, but try as I might, Faith just WOULD NOT grab onto that ledge or pipe.
I had fun with the game in the end, despite a few niggles. My biggest frustration was that despite the apparently open cityscape you have to play with, a lot of the levels are actually very, very linear, with only 1 path you can follow. I think the game was
Call Alanis, again! (Score:2)
Actually, the article is far less irritating than the summary had led me to believe. Yes, it points out 10 games that are not recommended for children and teens. But it isn't trying to get the games banned (the original commonsensemedia article actually points out that these are good games), just trying to help parents make informed decisions. This, I believe, is a good thing.
It's also hardly ironic that a list of "games not to buy your children when they ask for them" would be populated by good games worth asking for. It's not like everyone's kids are asking for shitty games.
Re: (Score:2)
Assassin's Creed 2 replaced by Mirror's Edge: I haven't played AC2, but I would probably agree that the original AC is "not for kids". Mirror's Edge doesn't seem outlandish as a replacement; it's not some twee kiddy game and it does contain violence. It's just a bit less "in your face" with it. So no problems with this one.
I haven't played it either, but I just read something about Assassin's Creed's historical accuracy, and I'm very impressed. Especially for a mainstream game. I don't know how much the game actually focuses on the historical parts or whether the focus is more on mindless violence (do you really kill only 9 people in that game?), but if it's done right, I could even see myself encouraging my kids to play it. I love history. Maybe I should give it a try myself.
GTA on the other hand, yeah, not for kids.
For Drag
Re: (Score:2)
AC is pretty, that's for sure. The historical accuracy, well, not so much. I mean, yes, Templars, Crusaders, Richard, Saladin - it's got the right names and places to a degree, but the plot etc is sheer fantasy (nothing wrong with that in a game, of course, but if it's historical accuracy you want, it is somewhat lacking). I'd say it's similar to the Civilization series in this manner - there's a lot of good starting points and places that can trigger you to go and learn some more, but the Aztecs didn't bui
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, the article is far less irritating than the summary had led me to believe. Yes, it points out 10 games that are not recommended for children and teens. But it isn't trying to get the games banned (the original commonsensemedia article actually points out that these are good games), just trying to help parents make informed decisions.
What? The article is useless. Parents already have a big fucking M rating on the box to explain to them its not for kids. This article is just trying to inflame par
Re:Not a particularly helpful summary (Score:4, Informative)
Yes, I've played it. It was basically the original game with a stupid plot. It's certainly not bad; the engine feels slick, the weapons are nicely modelled and the graphics and sound are pretty good (though the former still fall short of the standard set by Crysis more than 2 years ago).
But it's absolutely nothing special. The set-pieces are less impressive than the original's (there's certainly no counterpart to the infamous nuke sequence), the plot goes off the deep end into the kind of lunacy that even Metal Gear Solid probably wouldn't stoop to (which is a real atmosphere killer) and the singleplayer campain is devastatingly short.
It's a 7.5/10 sort of game. Maybe an 8/10 if you want to be kind. That's solid, but it's not spectacular.
Re: (Score:2)
I would agree it's probably 8/10 on the single player. It's good moments, movie-like experience, but the real fun really is in multiplayer with all of its levels, perks and tactics. The difference in classes you can build and tactic with really shows. Another great non-sp aspect is the co-op missions, especially the sniper ones. We had tons of fun in those, and they actually get really hard but still fun on the hardest levels.
The co-op and multiplayer aspects combined I would give it a 9.5/10, considering I
Re: (Score:2)
If by spectacular, you mean spectacularly bad, then yes. For a game that purports to portray "modern warfare" with a semblance of realism, how does allowing for infinite sprint
make sense? How does a knife take out a riot shield, when even a submachine-gun barely dents it? What of the dual wielded shotguns?
Re: (Score:2)
No, it does look like they are directly recommending Batman as an alternative specifically to GTA. If it was just a list of games that ARE good for kid, the list would have been separate.
I would have liked some points out the alterna
Read the ESRB Rating (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Read the ESRB Rating (Score:5, Insightful)
The whole point of the article is "You know from the ESRB ratings that these games aren't for kids. So for each one, what's a good substitute?"
Re: (Score:2)
Speaking of retailers, I'm always surprised when I see 18+ rated games in a toy store. Aren't toy stores explicitly aimed at kids? Don't adults tend to get their computer games elsewhere? Why are toy stores even selling Bio Shock or GTA?
Re: (Score:2)
ESRB ratings can shove it. I'm far more qualified to know what is good/bad for my kids than a bunch of bible-thumping moralist lobbyists.
America needs to get over it. We are conservative, uptight little bitches in the eyes of the rest of the western world, deservedly so for shit just like the ESRB, the fact that shit is a "dirty" word, and the fact that entire networks are nearly shut down for displaying a nipple.
Re:Read the ESRB Rating (Score:5, Insightful)
ESRB is a private organization which was formed so that the games industry could self-regulate. Its intent is to keep the government out of the ratings process. ESRB ratings are a suggested watermark for entry with a summary of potentially objectionable material. It's a tool to allow parents to shield their children from specific content. Nothing is forced upon anyone.
If there is any censorship going on it's from stores like Walmart that refuse to carry games based on that rating. You can still buy those products elsewhere.
Not really sure what your objection is here.
Re: (Score:2)
My objection is to the inherent stupidity of "ratings" schemes. They should just say what's in the games (blood, sex, violence, drugs, whatever) but leave age ranges out of it.
My main objection to ESRB is that games have varying levels of potentially offensive content, but due to the broad strokes of the ESRB ratings, there is no difference between a game like GTA IV Halo 2, and Resident Evil.
In MY family (key word, MY) there's nothing wrong with a little mindless FPS fragging. In other families, there's no
Re: (Score:2)
I see your point but I can't agree with it. It's a recommendation, and the rating in the big bold letters is just a visual summary to enable parents to scan a wall full of unfamiliar products for the few that may be appropriate. As an avid gamer I'm willing to read a lot of content about many games, but a parent or grandparent might assume that all games are appropriate for kids, like board games, and may make an uninformed decision without guidance.
Re: (Score:2)
Strange, when I look at an ESRB rating on a DS game, it's got a few lines about what got it the rating. As a parent, I can then evaluate it, and decide whether it's suitable for the kid. It's hardly perfect, but I find it useful. The age ratings are indications of maturity, and the parent should adjust for the child. (Movie rati
Re: (Score:2)
Also, I just saw that Guitar Hero is rated Teen (13 and above). My 10 year old has played every version of Guitar Hero. I think he was ok as a SIX year old playing a 13 and up game?
I think this pretty much sums up my objection to the ESRB.
Re: (Score:2)
If you don't have age ratings on games etc., you end up with what Australia has, where adult content is banned outright.
Re: (Score:2)
Seriously, anyone who needs to read this review shouldn't have the responsibility of children. A quick look at the ESRB rating
Anybody who lets the ESRB decide what's appropriate for their child shouldn't have the responsibility of children.
Re: (Score:2)
the articla is about educating parent about the ESRB by using sought after games as examples.
Seriously, do you jsut expect people to magically know this?
Either gain some perspective or never have children yourself.
Idiot.
Very misleading summary (Score:5, Insightful)
Second, the NYT blog simply asks readers to discuss a list compiled by Common Sense Media of ten games not to buy your children.
So to ascribe the list to the New York Times itself is incredibly misleading.
Re: (Score:2)
First, any blog on the NYT web site carries the implication that it is backed by the NYT itself. Second, the article is overtly biased positively towards the common Sense Media's list. Since the NYT allows this blog (unless there's the standard OP-ED disclaimer, which I didn't look for), then there is nothing wrong with attributing this list to the NYT.
A useful list (Score:5, Insightful)
You're a parent, an uncle, a grandfather. You don't play video games. You want to give something the kid will like. You hear he's "into" video games. You step into the local gamer store, and ...
YOU HAVE NO CLUE
The one thing you want to avoid is buying that game with "blood spurting out of victims' bodies, human carcasses littering the floor, blood-stained walls and floors, and copious screams of torture" (Dead Space: Extraction). Otherwise, your sister Jenny will have your head on a platter ... for real.
Katamari Damacy is still good (Score:5, Insightful)
If you don't have it, get it now. Child-friendly, and great for adults too.
Re:Katamari Damacy is still good (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
If you don't have it, get it now. Child-friendly, and great for adults too.
I agree with this 100%. This game is all about identifying seemingly insurmountable obstacles and planning incremental steps to surpass them. It's a great lesson to reinforce.
Re: (Score:2)
And they have versions for all the new consoles now. Beautiful Katamari for 360 and Katamari Forever for Wii/PS3. If you played the previous ones, you won't find much new, sadly.
Ohhhh, what I'd pay to be there on xmas eve... (Score:2)
...when the kids open their presents and find out they got nothing nearly close to what they wanted, maybe even the game that everyone in their class already turned up their nose at.
Yeah, it sure gonna be a peaceful, holy night. Well, ok, it wouldn't be for them either way, since L4D2 sure ain't peaceful and anything but holy, but at least the rest of the family would have some peace.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
If the kids were raised halfway decently, they'll politely say "thank you", and contain their disappointment until later. Unless they're like 8 or 9, in which case they REALLY need to not be playing GTA.
And if they're old enough to know better and start throwing fits, parents always have the option to discipline them. I know if my kids did that, they'd get their games taken away (at least for a while), and be left to think about whether it was better to have the "uncool" game or no game at all.
Not the NYT's List (Score:5, Interesting)
Define "proven" (Score:2)
FTA:
...things that have been proven to have a negative effect on children
This tired argument again? I won a writing award when I was 17 debunking the myth that video games and violent cartoons have a "negative effect" on kids. Of course when I was 17, video games were: Zork, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong (super violent and sexist), and Asteroids.
Think of the Dragons! (Score:2)
the game features combat, decapitations and swords plunged into the chests of both people and dragons.
Braid? (Score:2)
What came first, the mus
Re: (Score:2)
synthetic offspring? (Score:2)
FTA:
[blockquote] if you need gift ideas for the surly, pale teenager in your home whose body contains more plastic then your average d20[/blockquote]
What on earth is this supposed to mean? Is there some kind of gamer fad to get nose jobs or something?
Re: (Score:2)
six legged creatures (Score:2)
I was reading about one of the recommended games on the linked site [commonsensemedia.org] and my brain exploded when I read "six-legged creatures: a scorpion and tarantula"
By the way, Braid is a great puzzle game.
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe it's one of those violent kids' games that let you pluck spider legs off.
good article actually (Score:2)
If you go to the source article [commonsensemedia.org] it's quite clear they are offering alternatives for what they consider to be very good games that (according to the age rating) are unsuitable to kids.
The descriptions of the ga
Is this not proof? (Score:2)
Is this not proof of my statement in posts a few days ago that the New York Times is as equally reliable a news source as the National Enquirer?
Is it any surprise that Network news all the way to print media is playing to lowbrow "Maury Povich" interests just to get anyone to look at them in light of their imminent demise and publicly heard death rattles?
While we're at it (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
We are agreed then, ban all 'holy' books.
warning! omission! (Score:2, Interesting)
This list won't be complete until they list Infocom's "Leather Goddesses of Phobos"
Talk about interactive, this game was scratch-n-sniff [wikipedia.org]
Re:Gee, how were they supposed to know? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, you'd have thought everyone would be able to read the little label next to the ESRB 17+ mark, suggesting a Teen rated alternative to the game you're looking at.
Errr, sorry what? You say there isn't such a label?
Oh, maybe this article has some merit then.
Re: (Score:2)
Hmm... would explain the appeal of rave parties, but the kids there ain't old enough to remember PacMan...
Re: (Score:2)
The world "wholesome" needs to be retired. It has been misused for decades now.
It's also one of those words what indicate that you should listen with skepticism. It differs greatly from person to person and generation to generation. I'm sure that in pre-civil rights era south (and even today as we see sometimes) they considered their antics "wholesome."
Re: (Score:2)
WoW has troll zombies riding velociraptors. That's really close. Maybe someone else can find you one with Nazi zombies.